Weird Secrets to Olympic Success

Japanese runner Naoko Takahashi’s beverage of choice at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney was an energy drink with a lot of buzz. Takahashi made headlines that year not just for taking gold in the women’s marathon event, but for attributing her success to a special drink made from the stomach juices of giant, killer hornets.

The concoction, which has since been manufactured and marketed as an energy drink in Japan, is said to reduce muscle fatigue and make your body more efficient, according to scientists at the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research near Tokyo. And because it’s all natural, it doesn’t qualify as a performance-enhancing drug.

Takahashi isn’t the only athlete to adopt an extreme routine. Here’s a look at some 2012 Olympians’ strange secrets to success.

Bob Daemmrich Photography, Inc./Corbis

Michael Phelps' Secret: High-Tech Recovery Gear

It should surprise no one that 16-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps has some unusual tricks up his sleeve. Among them: the Graston technique, a form of soft-tissue manipulation that uses a variety of stainless steel rods and tools to induce "microtrauma" in order to detect and treat inflammation or fibrosis. It's as painful as it sounds, but Phelps and his trainer say it's worth it. They credit the controversial method with helping him break the world record for the 200-meter butterfly in 2007.

After a workout, the 26-year-old unwinds in Under Armour's Men's Recharge Energy Suit, a full-body compression garment that applies mechanical pressure to the body and is said to help speed up recovery time by enhancing circulation and delaying the onset of muscle soreness.

If that's not sci-fi enough for you, Phelps also sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber — "Imagine, like, a bed with a box around it," he told the Associated Press — which mimics high-altitude conditions and boosts levels of oxygen-rich blood cells. The swimmer started snoozing at a virtual 8,000 feet above sea level last year, after he noticed that he felt better when he trained in Colorado Springs, 6,000 feet above sea level.

The World Anti-Doping Agency's ethics committee says hyperbaric devices enhance performance and violate "the spirit of the sport," but thus far, the chambers have not been added to the list of banned substances and techniques.

Tim Clayton/Corbis

Usain Bolt's Secrets: Chicken McNuggets and Jamaican Yams

As a general rule, fueling up for a run at your local drive-thru is not ideal. But for Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, fast food and fast feet go hand-in-hand. At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, not wanting to take his chances on disrupting his digestive system with foreign dishes, Bolt stuck to snacks he knew his body could handle — namely, McDonald's chicken nuggets. He went on to not only win gold in each of his events but also to break the previous world records for the 100- and 200-meter sprints and the 4x100-meter relay.

"If I'm at a championship, like in Korea, Japan and these places where the food is not normal food, I always have nuggets," he told ESPN Magazine. "So when I was in Beijing, I had nuggets. When I was in Daegu [South Korea], I had nuggets. When you eat what you know, your stomach won't get upset."

Fortunately, Bolt will have other options at this year's games in London. Among the native foods sure to be on his and his teammates' menus: Trelawny yams, which Bolt's father credited with helping his son win gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Yams are packed with nutritional goodness, including fiber, vitamins C and B6, and plenty of healthy complex carbs, which are converted into fuel for your body. Yam it up!

Vernon Bryant/Dallas Morning News/Corbis

Jonathan Horton's Secret: Honey

What do U.S. gymnast Jonathan Horton and Winnie the Pooh have in common? A serious love of honey. The sticky sweet stuff has long been used by competitors on the U.S. men's Olympic gymnastics team to help them get a better grip on the parallel bars, but Horton, 26, carries an extra bottle — for swigging.

"I have a little bit of a low blood-sugar issue, so [when] I start to get shaky, I just down some honey to make me feel better," the two-time Olympic medalist told Yahoo. "It works within a couple of minutes. The sugar rushes to my blood right away, and I feel amazing."

Horton may be on to something. Research shows that honey's health perks, which include a boost to your immune system and relief from joint inflammation, are indeed sweet. Don't overdo it, though: One tablespoon has 63 calories, so whatever you use it for, use it in moderation.

David J. Phillip/AP/Corbis

Stephanie Brown Trafton’s Secret: Bacon

It’s not unusual for athletes to be superstitious. Pro players in hockey, baseball, basketball, and football often have lucky charms or grow playoff beards or refuse to wash their socks when they’re on a hot streak. American track and field star Stephanie Brown Trafton, 32, is no different — but in her case, the superstition revolves around food.

Four years ago, at the Beijing Olympics, where she took gold in the women’s discus event, Brown Trafton credited her success to a steady diet of corn dogs. She even had boxes of them shipped to China, according to California radio station KNCI. This year, she told the deejays, her fuel of choice is bacon.

“I think when God created the pig, he had Stephanie in mind,” she said in an interview with the station. “It was corn dogs for quite a while, and then the bacon love just started to take hold.”

As it turns out, there may be some science behind Brown Trafton’s bacon obsession. When bacon is cooked, amino acids in the meat react with the sugar to cause what’s called the Maillard Reaction, a chemical process that appeals to our sense of smell.

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Natalie Coughlin's Secret: Mustard Baths

We hate to use a cliché like "there's something in the water" to explain American swimmer Natalie Coughlin's success, but in her case, the cliché is true: There is, quite literally, something in the water. Mustard, to be exact.

"I like to take mustard baths," the 11-time Olympic medalist told Health Magazineof how she eases her aches and pains after a tough workout. "I combine four pounds Epsom salts, three ounces mustard powder, 12 ounces powdered milk, and a half cup baking soda; add in 12 drops each of rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils; then whisk it and pour a quarter cup of the mix into the tub while warm water is running."

It sounds strange, but mustard has been used since ancient Greek and Roman times to treat many ailments, including headaches, colds, congestion, asthma, lack of appetite, inflammation, and menopause. Derived from the seeds of the mustard plant, which is a member of the cruciferous veggie family that also contains broccoli and cabbage, it is believed to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and even anti-cancer properties. Some rat studies suggest that ingesting mustard may even help build lean muscle and boost physical performance. Who knew that such a common condiment had so many uncommon uses?

Gregory Bull/AP Photo

Aly Raisman's Secret: Chocolate Milk

It turns out that milk really does do a body good — especially when it's flavored with a little cocoa. Just ask 17-year-old swimmer Missy Franklin or 18-year-old gymnast Alexandra "Aly" Raisman. Both credit chocolate milk with helping them bounce back from grueling practices and competitive meets.

"Chocolate milk is important to me, because it is scientifically proven to be the best recovery drink that you can have after your workout," Raisman told Yahoo. "Because I train so many hours a day, it's really important for me to replenish my muscles. And [chocolate milk] has the best combination of carbohydrates and protein."

Research supports this claim. Multiple studies show that drinking chocolate milk post-exercise helps refuel tired muscles, replace fluids lost as sweat, and improve maximal oxygen intake. One recent report published in International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that athletes who drank chocolate milk between workouts performed as well as or better than athletes who drank more traditional sports beverages.

Wayne Jones/AP Photo

Manny Huerta’s Secret: Volcanic Training Grounds

U.S. triathlete Manny Huerta’s training regimen goes above and beyond the norm — literally. Huerta, 28, works out at 5,000 feet above sea level and then drives up an additional 2,000 feet to sleep on the side of an active volcano in Costa Rica. He credits the high altitude with improving his performance.

“My hemoglobin and hematocrit levels get higher — those are the cells that carry oxygen to your body,” he explained. “[Living at altitude helps] produce a better red blood cell.”

Research on altitude training is mixed. While some studies support Huerta’s claim that the practice enriches your blood count and enables you to circulate oxygen more efficiently, others suggest that any benefits are offset by disadvantageous changes in muscle metabolism and the risk of altitude sickness. More data is needed either way.

Press Association via AP Images

Mo Farah’s Secret: Oxygen Tents

Huerta and Michael Phelps aren’t the only altitude enthusiasts. Many other elite athletes also train at higher elevations to improve their speed, strength, endurance, and recovery. Within 10 to 21 days of returning to sea level, though, the effects of the training wear off, and athletes experience a dip in performance.

To combat that problem at this year’s games in London, some individuals — notably, Somali-born English track-and-field star Mo Farah — plan to set up camp in low-oxygen, or hypoxic, tents.

Like Phelps’ hyperbaric chamber, Farah’s low-oxygen tent replicates high-altitude conditions to stimulate the body’s production of red blood cells. The tent is hooked up to a (very noisy) generator that replaces the oxygen-rich air in the space with hypoxic air. Unfortunately, the British Olympic Association (BOA) says it has no room for such tents in the Olympic Village. However, Farah and a small number of other athletes may be permitted to sleep outside the official quarters. (Wonder if that means they’ll miss the now-infamous party scene, too?)

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

Advertising Notice

This Site and third parties who place advertisements on this Site may collect and use information about
your visits to this Site and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of
interest to you. If you would like to obtain more information about these advertising practices and to make
choices about online behavioral advertising, please click here.